Blast won't start

[supermel74]

My Blast died while riding last Fall and coincidentally(maybe) the belt broke at the same exact time. I replaced the belt but never got it started over winter and tried again today with no luck. The battery is fully charged and I'm not getting a spark. What is the next thing I should try?

 

[pierce]

Need a better description. You crank and does the starter chug, or do you just get a click? Do your lights dim when you press the starter? Can you push start it?

First off, check the boot if you have not already. If the carb came loose, or it tore, the bike will not run. The boot is the rubber portion connecting the carb.

 

[supermel74]

The starter does chug and all the lights work. I'm not sure if they dim, the bike is being stored away from where I live so I can't check that tonight. I can't push start it. Would I still get a spark if just the boot came loose?

 

[pierce]

You would still get spark. If you are not, replace the plug and see what happens. Hopefully that and a new boot will solve it. If not, we can take it from there.

If no spark with new plug, then we start looking into plug wire, coil etc.

First rule out the obvious.

 

[supermel74]

Thanks Pierce. I did try another new plug already with the same result. I got the superboot not long ago and I'm pretty sure it's still secure but I'll give it another look just to be safe. I guess I'll just order a new plug wire first and if that's not it at least I'll have a spare on hand, and move on to the coil from there.

 

[pierce]

Well, if you tested for spark properly and you aren't getting anything I would look first for loose wires, damages wires. Check and make sure everything is nice and tight, the coil looks good and everything is where it should be. Check front and rear grounds and make sure they are tight as well.

If everything looks good, then test the coil with an ohm. Could be the wires but it wouldn't hurt to have new on hand.

 

[cyp65]

The shop manual is very descriptive when chasing electrical no-start issues. When my ignition module (the one on the right side of the engine) died last year, I went through the diagnosis and checked all the ranges described in the manual. Its always better to test and test and test before buying a bunch of electrical parts.

If I could find a link or my pdf copies of the manual I would provide them here. I would start working my way back from the plug through the plug wire, the coil, etc. You can always pull the ignition module cover off the side of the bike and see if the LED on it is even lighting.

Make sure the battery has a full charge when you are doing this. There are a lot of little electrical things that can be causing your problem (clutch switch, sidestand switch) that have been described in other posts too.

Time to get out the multimeter and start hunting.

 

[pierce]

Good thoughts cyp65 - I am unaware if the kickstand or clutch safety kill the spark or not? You might want to do that anyways (delete the safeties) as they are notorious for going bad when you least want them too.

Clutch, flip center diode, and kickstand cut the wire leading from the kickstand and connect the two and then tuck it in somewhere safe so it doesn't hang down. Either one of those would keep you from being able to start.

 

[supermel74]

The clutch and kickstand switches are already disabled and the red ignition module light is blinking. Thanks for the tips just the same though. I ordered a new plug wire yesterday so I'll give that a shot when it comes in. I've actually never used a multimeter though. Does anybody know where I can get the right one fairly cheap and maybe a tutorial on how to use it properly?

 

[Luckdragon]

Look-please don't think that I think that you are stupid - but look at your kill switch and make sure it is on. This kind of simple stuff has happened before.(and it is SO easy to overlook)

 

[cyp65]

I've had good luck with this craftsman model

Craftsman Multi-Meter

Its not a high-end Fluke model but it gets the job done and hasn't broke like the $5 one I had from Harbor-Freight.


A tutorial? Let's take the plug wire for example. If you are testing the overall resistance of the wire, you turn the knob (in the picture) to the 2nd setting (ohms) and place one lead at one end of the wire (side the plug goes into) in contact with the conductive portion and place the other lead at the other end (side going into the coil) in contact with that conductive portion.

The reading on the display will be the overall resistance of the plug wire. There is a set range for this.

Hope this helps.



While I'm thinking of it, how are you checking for spark? Are you making sure that the plug is in contact with a grounded part of the bike when turning over? Is the ground point clean? Not saying you aren't doing correctly, just thinking out loud here. With the LED blinking, one would think its something between the module and the coil.

 

[supermel74]

No offense taken Luckdragon. I've actually pushed a scooter for almost a mile thinking it died before I realized that I had accidently flipped the kill switch. That's always the first thing I check for now though. I'll pick that Craftsman multimeter up soon. Thanks for the overview and recommendation cyp65. That's definitely helpful. That's the method I was using for checking for a spark. Like in this video http://www.howcast.com/videos/176258-How-To-Check-For-Spark-in-Your-Engine

 

[supermel74]

Here's a video of how it sounds when trying to start it just for reference.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoR5pQBsgyc&feature=youtu.be

 

[pierce]

One more 'been there done that' thing to check - the fusebox! Make sure they are all good.

ONce you get the multimeter then it should be easy to track down the culprit. Test the coil first, with the ignition on, I believe it should be between .4 - .6? Check the manual though, they give you a step by step diagnostics.

 

[supermel74]

I'll check the fuses later today. The parts manual lists (3) 7.5 amp fuses. Mine has (2) 7.5s, and a 10 in there. Is that normal?

 

[pierce]

Should all be 7.5.(3) There are two slots for spares as well, and two diodes.

While you are at it, pull them all and make sure they are good.

 

[supermel74]

I pulled all the fuses and they looked good, but I flipped the diodes and switched out one of the spare fuses with the ignition fuse anyways and it fired up. I didn't have a chance to ride other than driving it back in the basement but everything seemed great. I replaced all the fuses after that just for peace of mind. Thanks again Pierce and all others for helping out [up] . Can't wait to ride tomorrow.

 

[Luckdragon]

The diode reverse,and subsequent start up may indicate a bad kick stand switch.

 

[supermel74]

My kickstand switch is already disabled. By "flipped" I just meant removed and reseated. Maybe one or the other wasn't fully seated? Both diodes were slightly bent. Not sure if that's critical but I'll replace both of them just to be safe since they're cheap.

 

[ezblast]

Close - bad clutch switch - lol
EZ